I Need a Favor
by Sherlockedinseattle
Summary: Mycroft hates to admit it, but he needs Sherlock's help in the relationship department. Based in the lovely "Winds of Change" and sequel "A Window into Change" ficverse by Writingwife83. Established Sherlolly (I ship it!) and Mycroft pining for his assistant Anthea. My first attempt at fanfiction! Will most likely be a multi-chapter fic.
1. Chapter 1

_A huge shout out to __**Writingwife83**__ for all of her support and encouragement! This story is based on her FABULOUS Sherlolly ficverse: __**Winds of Change**__ and the sequel __**A Window Into Change. **__ If you haven't read them yet, I highly suggest you do so, they are amazing, and they set up the established Sherlolly that this story branches off from! So thank you again __**Writingwife83**__ for letting me use your story as inspiration! You're the best!_

Sherlock was deep in his mind palace, attempting to file away some non-essential information about Molly's favorite type of ice cream. He'd reasoned that he would most likely need that information at some point in the future. He vaguely registered footsteps on the stairs leading up to 221B, which brought him back into the present. The footsteps were too deliberate to be either John's or Lestrade's, too heavy to be Mrs. Hudson's or Mary's, and much too reluctant to belong to his pathologist (although, he supposed he should probably start calling her his girlfriend rather than his pathologist considering that they shared a bed now). That left only one person. Sherlock rolled his eyes and braced himself for the petulant voice that would inevitably accompany those footsteps.

"Do you always leave your door open for just anyone to stroll right in?" the voice bellowed, much too loudly for the room, Sherlock noted.

Sherlock continued as he was, sitting in his chair, right leg crossed over his left, sipping his tea, as if nothing had changed. "_Brother_. What do you want?" Sherlock replied, his words dripping with disdain. He wasn't in the mood for Mycroft's little digs. He had a way of popping in when it was least convenient. Not that it was ever convenient where Mycroft was concerned.

Mycroft replied with an intentionally forced smile on his face, "Can't a big brother pop in for a quick visit with his little brother?"

Sherlock scrunched up his nose like he'd just smelled something extremely unpleasant. Mycroft's horrifying and obviously forced attempt at sibling kindness was appalling to both Sherlock and himself. Sherlock made no move to reply, choosing instead to continue sipping his tea, which he knew would annoy Mycroft. Immediately, Mycroft dropped the façade and declared his real reason for being there.

"I need a favor. And you know that you are literally the last person on this earth that I would ever come to about something of this nature for _obvious reasons_-although those reasons no longer seem to apply-but I digress. It seems that you are the only one that can assist me with this…problem. As much as it literally pains me to admit, I need your help." Mycroft rambled on, clearly uncomfortable, but Sherlock had stopped listening.

Sherlock was rightfully shocked when Mycroft had begun with "I need a favor," so much so that he almost choked on his tea; but by the time he was finished with his rambling, Sherlock couldn't seem to clear the smug smirk from his face. Truthfully, he wanted to laugh in Mycroft's face and send out a text to everyone that he knew, declaring that the great Mycroft Holmes had actually succumbed to asking his baby brother for a _favor_. But then it occurred to him that perhaps he should let Mycroft explain what he needed before shouting his triumph from the rooftops. Past experience had taught Sherlock that perhaps he should be a tad frightened that Mycroft needed his help. It usually didn't signal anything pleasant when Mycroft needed him; in fact, it usually meant that Sherlock was headed to his death in some form or another. Oh God, what could he possibly want?

Mycroft began to pace back and forth, trying unsuccessfully to ignore the look of smug satisfaction on his younger brother's face. He really wanted to just forget the whole thing, insult Sherlock and storm out in victory. But he couldn't disappoint Mummy anymore than he already had. And if he was completely honest with himself, _he_ wanted this too; he'd wanted it for a lot longer than he'd like to admit.

Since it seemed that Sherlock was going to remain silent for the time being (interestingly, his face had transitioned from a look of smugness to a look of apprehension), Mycroft chose to continue. He abruptly sat down in John's chair across from where Sherlock sat, put his elbows on his knees and his face in his hands, letting out a defeated sigh. Truth be told, Sherlock was actually starting to feel a bit concerned; he'd never seen Mycroft look so…so…out of his element. The man was lost, he was frightened, and now Sherlock was beginning to worry that something was seriously wrong with his brother. However, that concern flew swiftly out the window when Mycroft suddenly looked up at Sherlock and asked incredulously, "How did _you_ of all people get a girlfriend?!" he sneered. "You don't even like people! And the only time that you do, is when they've been murdered and you get to play your little detective game!" he added.

Sherlock, his moment of brotherly sympathy now gone completely, replied haughtily, "And _you_ do? Where do you think I learned to dislike the _goldfish_ as you so aptly put it? " Sherlock got up from his seat and stood towering over Mycroft, this being one of the few times that he could literally look down on his big brother, and he continued, "What does any of this have to do with my having a girlfriend? What do you care about my relationship with Molly?" Suddenly it dawned on him. "Ah, I see now. You're _jealous_. The great Mycroft Holmes is jealous of his little brother's relationship status! Oh this is _good_. This is just…oh I have to text John!" as he pulled out his phone.

Mycroft was sincerely regretting ever coming to see Sherlock. This was not going like he had envisioned at all. It was bad enough that he had to admit this _problem_ to himself, let alone to his little brother. This was utterly humiliating. Sherlock was not supposed to have the upper hand. Ever. He needed to take control of the situation before it went to Sherlock's head.

Mycroft spoke up. "Alright, put down the phone. Yes, okay? Yes, I admit it, I'm jealous. Does that make you happy?"

Without a word, Sherlock sat back down, his gigantic smile slowly fading from his face as he realized that Mycroft would never, under normal circumstances, ever allow him to win an argument. Okay, something was really wrong. Sherlock looked at him suspiciously.

Mycroft began again, "You and I are cut from the same cloth brother. We have never fit in with our peers because, quite frankly, we are better than them. We didn't even fit into our own family! Neither of us required friends because no one could keep up with us anyway. Truthfully, I've never needed anyone else because I always had you as my intellectual equal, or rather, almost equal." At Sherlock's incredulous stare Mycroft paused and said, "Alright, calm down, that's as sappy as I get brother."

"The point I'm trying to make is that I thought that we were both the same in this respect; that _we_ didn't need anyone else. But clearly, _you do_. You need John and Mary, and Mrs. Hudson to keep you right; but none more than Molly. They balance you out in a way that I never could. In a way that I never thought I needed."

Sherlock sat frozen in his chair, mouth agape, his teacup raised halfway to his lips but never quite making it there. He could not comprehend this version of Mycroft that was before him, offering a confession of sorts.

Mycroft continued begrudgingly, "I've never seen you so happy (Mycroft shuddered at the word as he spoke it aloud), and don't you dare try to say that Molly has nothing to do with the change, because we both know that it would be a lie. I must admit, she is, well, she's a good influence on you and our family dinner last week made me realize how beneficial the arrangement, er, relationship has been for you. Watching the two of you interact and noticing how happy it made Mum and Dad to see you in love, yes I said _love_-wipe the shocked look off your face!-made me, for lack of a better word, jealous. Of you and Molly."

"Not to mention, Mummy has been on my case non-stop since meeting your little girlfriend. So, thanks for that little brother. She seems to be under the impression that the Holmes men are a much more agreeable lot with women in our lives. Whatever."

Sherlock's mouth was now hanging open. He couldn't, for the life of him, figure out how to shut it. He might need to consult his mind palace to remember how to properly close his mouth. "What is happening right now?" he thought to himself in utter disbelief.

"I've been having…feelings," Mycroft begrudgingly admitted. Just the word, feelings, made him want to vomit. Unfortunately, he could no longer escape the fact that it was true. He had romantic feelings for another human being, and he could no longer lie to himself, or to his poor mother. It was time to fess up.

The words burst out of Mycroft before he could stop them: "I need you to help me get a girlfriend. Specifically, I need you to help me get Anthea."

If Mycroft had known that someone else was within listening range to hear that last sentence, he never in a million years would've admitted it aloud. Because right as he uttered the word _girlfriend_, Sherlock could be seen with his mouth hanging open even wider than before, a look of amusement in his eyes as he heard Molly's shriek of excitement. She dropped her shopping bags on the floor with a thud and exclaimed, "Yes! Yes we'll do it!"


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello Readers! Thank you so much to everyone for their reviews, follows, and favorites; you're all AWESOME! Your enthusiasm definitely inspired me to write this chapter faster than I'd originally planned! I hope you all enjoy it! :)**

Chapter 2

"Damn." Mycroft sighed, as realization hit him. He had thought that he was admitting his feelings to his brother Sherlock, which was bad enough; but as it turned out a certain pathologist had overheard his confession and was now positively shaking with excitement. "This can't turn out well," he thought to himself, lowering his head in defeat.

Leaving her shopping bags on the floor where she'd dropped them, Molly flitted over to where the Holmes brothers sat in stunned silence and said in Sherlock's direction, "First, hello you," and placed a quick peck on his lips, leaving a content smile on Sherlock's face. Mycroft rolled his eyes. Then, perching herself on Sherlock's lap, she turned to face Mycroft, her demeanor now very serious, and declared, "Second, if we're going to get you a girlfriend, we've got a lot of work to do."

An hour had passed inside the flat of 221B and Molly wasn't getting anywhere with the elder Holmes brother. She thought that Sherlock had been a tough nut to crack; but Mycroft was essentially an iceberg that refused to thaw. Now seated next to Sherlock on the couch, with Mycroft seated alone in front of them as if he were a client, she spoke up.

"But why do you want a relationship now Mycroft? What's changed?" Molly prodded him for the third time. She had been unsuccessfully trying to get Mycroft to explain why he, all of a sudden, wanted a girlfriend when under normal circumstances he could barely stand to make small talk with his own brother. Before they would help him with Anthea, Molly needed to know that he was serious about starting a relationship with her.

Mycroft remained frustratingly silent. He just kept alternating between smirking and grimacing. It was rather disturbing to watch.

Sherlock spoke up for the first time, "Really Mycroft, just answer the question! It's not that difficult, even for you." Satisfied with that small dig, he continued more seriously, "Truthfully, as happy as I am with Molly, there is no denying that girlfriends require a significant amount of time and effort in order to be content in a relationship. And most of that time is spent talking-about feelings, what each other ate for lunch, the latest celebrity gossip-really mundane drivel to be honest." He stopped to offer an apologetic smile towards Molly, who returned with an indulgent smile of her own. He really didn't deserve her, he thought to himself. He continued to Mycroft, "My point is, there is no benefit for you to enter into a romantic arrangement with your assistant unless you have actual feelings for her. Especially considering that if you screw it up, which you _obviously_ will, she will no longer wish to work for you, and then you'll be without a girlfriend _and_ a competent assistant." He paused before adding, "However, the regular sex is quite fantastic and surprisingly beneficial for increased higher brain functioning…so there's that," he finished smugly, winking suggestively toward Molly.

Molly blushed. "Uh, yeah, okay, thanks for that Sherlock," she said hesitantly. "Incidentally though, he's absolutely right. Uh, about you losing your assistant if things go sour, I mean. Not the, um, sex thing. Although I guess that's true as well," she stammered. She shook her head quickly, attempting to keep her composure. "Ahem, so, uh, keep that in account going into this little endeavor."

Mycroft studied the (in his opinion) sickeningly sweet display between Sherlock and Molly and realized that this, the little moments, the complete trust and almost brutal honesty, between the two of them; this was what he wanted.

Molly opened up her mouth to speak again, but Mycroft cut her off, "That right there," gesturing between the two of them, "that is why I want to be in a, ahem, _relationship_," he added, trying not to choke on the word. He swallowed the vomit that was threatening to come up-he still couldn't quite believe that the words were actually coming out of his mouth. "I want what you two have," he begrudgingly admitted.

Molly smiled proudly, and turned to find Sherlock had dropped his jaw in shock once again. She carefully pressed his jaw closed with her index finger and kissed his cheek. Sherlock, now recovered from his shock, offered another of his famous winks that she adored so much. She turned back to a completely mortified Mycroft.

Molly decided to switch tactics. As if talking to a child, she said gently, "Okay, let's try something else. What do you like most about Anthea?

Mycroft looked thoughtful for a moment. "I suppose that the characteristic I admire most about her is similar to that which attracts Sherlock to you."

Sherlock stiffened in his seat. Molly quickly sucked in her breath, bracing herself for some off-color response about her skills in the bedroom or something of that nature.

"She tolerates me," Mycroft finished cheekily.

Sherlock scoffed. "Ha, because you pay her to," he mumbled under his breath.

Molly let out a sigh of relief, and had to stifle the laughter that came next. "Okaaaay, well there's a bit more to it than that but I guess it's a start. C'mon Mycroft, what is it about Anthea, of all of the women that you've ever interacted with…"

Sherlock laughed aloud and added sarcastically, "I'm sorry, how many women do you think he's interacted with?" and continued laughing to himself.

Molly gave Sherlock an admonishing look and continued, "…that makes her special? What makes Anthea different?"

Mycroft let out a frustrated sigh. "I don't know! She just _is_… she allows me to be the arsehole that I often am; doesn't expect anything more from me. There aren't many women that would do that." And he looked pointedly at Sherlock, who offered a small nod in agreement. Sherlock only knew of one woman that would put up with his admittedly obnoxious behavior, and she was sitting next to him.

Molly could tell that Mycroft was quickly losing his patience. "Hmm, well what does she like? What are her hobbies? Her interests?" Molly prodded.

Mycroft, now visibly irritated, blankly stared back at Molly and Sherlock. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea, he thought to himself. As he contemplated forgetting the whole thing and made a move to get up to leave, Sherlock's sudden outburst stopped him in his tracks.

"Think Mycroft! Deduce her!" Sherlock bellowed exasperatedly. "You do see the woman every single day, you must know _something _about her! I suggest you do your research!"

Mycroft let out another long sigh. "I suppose that she enjoys texting on her mobile quite a lot. And…let's see…Ah! We both enjoy making fun of other people. Does that count?"

After exchanging a quick glance with Sherlock, Molly turned once again to Mycroft. "I think we're looking for something a bit more specific than her love of text messaging and your shared interests in taking the piss at strangers." Sherlock added, "Deductions Mycroft, c'mon, this is utterly embarrassing if that is the best you can do."

"_Fine_," Mycroft relented. He began to speak very quickly. "Her nails are always perfectly shaped and polished which would suggest that she keeps up a consistent maintenance schedule at her favorite salon. The Nail Loft at Harrod's, if you were wondering-I've seen the business card that she carries in her wallet. While she styles her hair every day, it is at its best on Monday and Thursday afternoons; which would indicate that she gets a professional "blow-out" done during her lunch breaks on those particular days. Her hair always smells quite lovely on those afternoons when she passes by my desk…" Sherlock looked to Molly at this point in Mycroft's rapid-fire speech to find Molly with a huge grin on her face, which made a smile appear on his as well. Mycroft was still speaking, "She wears heels at all times and her calves are incredibly well-defined as a result. She dresses smartly but not in an extravagant way; often in dark and neutral colors that accentuate her figure-yes, Sherlock I've noticed-which indicates that she cares about her appearance, but does not need to prove it to anyone. She's quietly confident, and fully aware of her beauty, but does not feel the need to flaunt it….oh, and based on her breath when she gets back from lunch, her favorite meal is the chicken tikka masala from the little Indian restaurant down the street; which incidentally I also quite enjoy."

Molly started to respond to his deductions, but before she could get a word out, Mycroft added hastily, "Oh, and her mobile ringtone, which I hear quite often, is a song by her favorite band; no idea what the band's name is though. No doubt, it's some top 40 one-hit-wonder that I've never heard of."

Sherlock interrupted, "Ha, as if you know any band name, let alone a top 40 band. I wasn't aware that you even knew what music was!"

Mycroft ignored his little jab. Please, like Sherlock knows popular music anymore than I do, he thought to himself.

Molly suddenly perked up, a look of excitement back in her features. "Mycroft, I think I have an idea. A woman's favorite song says a lot about her, so your first assignment is to research the ringtone, deduce the song's meaning to find out why it is important to Anthea, and then figure out what to do with that information."

Mycroft was dubious. "And what exactly am I supposed to learn from a _ringtone_?"

"I think you can deduce that one on your own," Molly explained with a smirk. "So get to working on that because you're going to ask Anthea out on a date tomorrow."

"What? No no no, not yet. I can't, I don't even know what to say. No, I can't. No," Mycroft stammered. Sherlock had never seen his brother look so terrified.

"You're the one that wanted a girlfriend, brother. You actually have to ask a woman out for that to work, it doesn't just _happen_," Sherlock teased him.

Mycroft shot a deadly look towards Sherlock. "_Fine,_" he said resignedly. "What do I say?"

"I think it will come to you. Just speak from your heart," Molly offered.

"Ugh, the heart," Mycroft said with disgust. "Words aren't formed in the heart; it's such a ridiculous notion. What am I supposed to do with that?"

Sherlock laughed. "He has a point," he added. Molly just shook her head, slightly amused at Mycroft's naïveté in regards to _feelings_. She laid it out for him. "It's simple really, when you see her tomorrow, just ask her if she would like to go to dinner with you and let it flow from there."

"Well I might as well just do it right now, no need to prolong the suffering," he grumbled as he went to pull out his mobile. Molly grabbed for the phone. "Oh noooo you don't; you will absolutely _not_ ask Anthea out on a date through a text message. No. Way. You will ask her out on a proper date. In person. No exceptions. And you will do it tomorrow," Molly demanded.

Closing the front door after Mycroft left, Molly turned to find Sherlock still sitting on the couch, most likely filing away this "strange" version of Mycroft into his mind palace for later use. She walked over to him, sat on his lap with both legs hanging over one side of his, and offered him a dazzling smile. "Well that was interesting. Maybe we should start a consulting matchmaking service!" Choosing to stay silent on that one, Sherlock kissed Molly's forehead while she giggled to herself. "I kinda like you Mr. Holmes. I think I'll keep you." In response, Sherlock pressed his lips to hers and kissed her soundly. And just like that, the strange event of the day disappeared from his mind and all that he could think of was his Molly.

**A/U: So I'd fully intended for this chapter to include a scene between Mycroft and Anthea but it didn't end up happening that way-it would've been 10 pages long if I had! I wanted a little more build up...but no worries, Anthea will make her appearance in the next chapter, promise! **

**Thanks again for reading! :)  
**

**And another big shoutout to Writingwife83 for her input once again! You rock! And thanks for the "consulting matchmaker" reference as well-it fit perfectly! :)  
**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello again everyone, thanks so much for all of the lovely reviews and follows and favorites! It's extremely encouraging, so really, thank you! This chapter finally brings Anthea and Mycroft together. I'm going to switch the perspectives between Mycroft and Anthea throughout the story so hopefully that doesn't get confusing. Hope you like it :)**

* * *

The next morning, Mycroft found himself in his office an hour earlier than usual. Tapping his foot nervously, he attempted to focus on responding to another email from the director of MI6 who'd been trying to recruit him for ages; but Mycroft couldn't be bothered. In fact, he could barely keep his eyes open at the moment. He'd had a bit of trouble sleeping last night, unable to calm his nerves, and practically humming with anxiety over the difficult task ahead of him. He'd played the words over and over in his mind, creating the perfect speech to confess his feelings to Anthea. Unfortunately, his palms began to sweat profusely at the mere thought of her name; so much so that the front of his perfectly creased trousers were now uncomfortably damp from him wiping the offending sweat off. He sincerely doubted his ability to go through with his plan once he actually saw her face to face.

This was not the first time today that his nerves had gotten the better of him. Being unable to sleep the night before, he'd sent a panicked group text to Sherlock and Molly at three in the morning:

Mycroft: I CAN'T DO THIS. WHAT IF SHE SAYS NO?

When he did not get an immediate response, Mycroft began to pace in his bedroom, gripping his mobile with white knuckles. After 5 minutes had passed he got two texts simultaneously:

Molly: You'll be fine Mycroft. Just relax and be honest. If I'm right about her, and I usually am, she won't say no. You're Mycroft bloody Holmes for god's sake! Just stick to the plan and you'll be fine. Now get some rest. :)

Sherlock: DO SHUT UP BROTHER. JUST ASK THE WOMAN TO DINNER. IT'S NOT ROCKET SCIENCE!

Molly: Oh, this coming from the man that couldn't admit his feelings to me for YEARS?! Mycroft, ignore him. You'll do brilliantly, I promise. Now go to sleep!

Mycroft, annoyed with his brother's reaction, had chuckled to himself at the idea of Molly lying next to Sherlock while typing that last message. _Hopefully she smacked him_, he had thought with a smirk.

Snapping back to reality, the aggravating "butterflies" were back in his stomach. Attempting to distract himself, he reverted to his obsessive-compulsive tendencies-they soothed him. He began rearranging his desk items, moving his laptop 5 centimeters to the left, then moving it back to the right 3 centimeters, before finally settling it back in its original spot. He straightened his tie for the 50th time that morning, and smoothed down what was left of his hair, all the while feeling his heart beating hard enough to burst out of his chest at any moment. Hearing Molly's voice in the back of his mind, urging him to "speak from the heart", he groaned internally and squeezed his eyes shut, forcing himself not to roll his eyes at his own thoughts. He glanced at the clock for the tenth time in as many minutes. _Quarter to 8_, Mycroft thought to himself. _She'll be walking into my office in exactly 15 minutes. Get it together Mycroft._

* * *

Anthea walked through the office, purse slung over her shoulder, her Blackberry in one hand, and a cup of steaming hot tea in another. Looking at her surroundings, "The Lair" as she'd come to think of it, was dark, isolated, and intimidating; and without any windows, it was easy to forget that most people did not spend the majority of their work hours underground. _If I was actually allowed to tell any of my friends where I worked everyday they would think I was certifiable,_ she thought to herself. Even though they couldn't know whom she actually worked for, she could guess what they would think of Mycroft Holmes. He was a tad different from most employers, and could be extremely intimidating and condescending to anyone that he deemed unworthy of his time and energy. Truthfully though, he had, from her very first interview, always treated her with respect, and even admiration at times. And over the years, he'd even begun to value her opinions. He would never say it aloud, but she knew him better than most. She could practically read his thoughts.

Anthea was a lot more observant than people gave her credit for. It may look like she was continuously sending text messages on her mobile but truthfully; she was also taking notes for employer. About anything and everything. She hadn't understood the assignment when he had initially given her the task, but after years of typing furiously on her Blackberry, noting everything, no matter how insignificant it may seem, she came to understand that it was her boss' most successful way of gaining intelligence. The fact that he gave that responsibility to Anthea said a lot about his level of trust in her. Thus, she took the task very seriously, to the annoyance of her friends and family, who were constantly asking her to put her bloody mobile away. An added bonus: she liked the power it gave her.

She placed her purse down at her desk and continued down the hall towards Mycroft's office. Honestly, most people already assumed that she was in a relationship with her boss, considering the amount of time she spent with him and the level of detail that she knew about him. She'd heard the whispers from her colleagues; she was fully aware of the rumors about her sleeping with him. She simply didn't care what they thought. She laughed to herself at the idea of her boss in a romantic relationship with anyone, let alone her. He would never look at her in any way other than an employee, no matter how much he may trust her. _Mycroft Holmes doesn't do relationships_, she thought to herself. But if she was so sure, why did it pain her to think about it? She shook the thoughts from her mind as she reached his office door. She knocked quietly and opened the door.

* * *

At the sound of the knock on the door, Mycroft sucked in his breath in nervous anticipation. "Ugh, why am I sweating?" he whispered to himself milliseconds before Anthea stepped inside the office, her heels clicking loudly on the floor. Even the sound of her heels did something to him now; he couldn't help but think of her every time he heard that click-clack-click-clack of a woman's heels against the floor.

As she walked toward him, her hips swaying softly, he couldn't help but notice how beautiful Anthea really was. He had never allowed himself to acknowledge her appearance before; he was Mycroft Holmes after all, and Mycroft Holmes did not bother with romance, or sentiment, or even societal constructs of beauty. However, today was a different story; today he noticed everything. He noticed that her long chestnut brown hair, styled with subtle waves, fell perfectly against her dark grey fitted jacket, which hugged her curves perfectly. His eyes traveled lower to take in her well toned calves that shown below her knee length pencil skirt, and all the way down to her understated (_but very sexy_) nude heels (_pumps? Is that what they're called?)_. He caught himself nodding in approval.

Anthea, looking a bit confused, smiled warmly at Mycroft and he felt his insides turn to mush. _Get a hold of yourself man_, he screamed internally.

"Morning boss. Tea?" as she handed him the steaming cup with just a splash of milk, prepared just the way he liked it. They definitely had their routine down.

Mycroft's hands were shaking as he went to take the teacup from Anthea's hands. However, noticing his trembling hands, she instead went to place the cup on his desk without a word. "Yes, thank you…uh, Anthea…and uh good morning to you as well," he stuttered awkwardly.

She'd already begun typing on her mobile but glanced up at him, noting his stuttering. "You okay?" she ventured. "You seem a bit off this morning." She went back to typing.

Mycroft watched her in fascination. Anthea's Blackberry habit might annoy some people, but he had always admired her ability to carry on a conversation and type simultaneously. She was incredibly observant; one of the many things that he valued about her. Realizing that instead of responding to her, he had simply been staring at her, he spoke up. "Oh, yes, I'm fine. Just a bit…distracted this morning," he explained lamely. _I can't do this. I can't do this. How am I supposed to ask her? _

* * *

Anthea, unsure what to think of this nervous, sweaty version of her boss, chalked it up to stress and got down to business. She looked back to her mobile for the day's agenda.

"Alright, if you say so," she said hesitantly. Turning serious, she continued, "Now, have you responded to Commander Brighton's proposal yet? His secretary will not stop calling me and frankly I've had enough of his annoyingly high-pitched voice. Can I block him? Or can you please take care of it; I'm going to burn my ear off if I have to listen to his whining one more time."

Mycroft, beginning to relax, laughed at Anthea's expression of disgust on her face. "Yes, I'll take care of it today. Wouldn't want you to lose an ear over my procrastination." He said with a wink.

Anthea was a bit caught off guard at that. Of all the years that she'd worked for Mycroft Holmes, he had never winked at her; or anyone else for that matter. Mycroft Holmes did not wink. That was his brother's thing. Mycroft's behavior was rather confusing today.

"Um, okay, fantastic. Thank you," she ventured, still unsure of how to react to this strange man in front of her. Previously, she would've claimed that she'd seen every possible mood and behavior that her boss was capable of…now she wasn't so sure. This Mycroft was nervous and awkward, turned playful...and flirty? _What is going on?_

She tried to focus on the business at hand. Before jumping to the next item on the agenda, she began to type a quick email response to the Commander's secretary to get him off her back. "Okay, he's placated for now. You also have a conference call with MI6 and Parliament at 11 a.m…I'm sure they plan to fight over you again. Why don't you just tell them both that you're not interested, and never will be?"

"You know I love the flattery," he said with a smirk and another wink. "You'll sit in for that call won't you?" he asked hopefully.

"Uh…yes, okay…of course I will," she stuttered, completely thrown off by his tone and the second wink of the morning. _Okay, this is getting strange. This is not the Myrcoft Holmes that I know. _

Mycroft looked relieved, and almost joyful. "Perfect. I'll order lunch. Tikka masala from the usual spot?" he asked giddily.

_That's it. _"Okay, I'm sorry, but I have to ask. What are you on about? You're all sweaty and winking and, I don't know…I can't be sure, but it seems like you're…" she trailed off. She wanted to say _flirting with me_ but she couldn't muster the courage to say it. It was too strange. She continued, "And then you offer to order lunch yourself? I've never seen you order take out in the entire time I've worked for you. Are you sick or something?" she stated, extremely uncomfortable.

Mycroft looked caught, wide-eyed and frozen. Seeing his expression, she visibly relaxed, realization coming to her. _He was putting on an act_. "Oh, okay, I understand now. You're wearing a wire again aren't you?" She laughed to herself, comforted that she figured out why he was acting so strangely. "Who is it this time? The Americans again?" She said with a smirk, proud of herself.

Mycroft smiled and looked down at his lap. "No, the American's won't be trying that one again. And no, I'm not wearing a wire," he began. He looked up into her eyes and continued, "Anthea, I was wondering…um, you see, I…hmm…"

"What is it Mycroft? Is everything alright? You're starting to scare me a bit," Anthea interrupted, clearly concerned for her boss. She was about ten seconds from calling for emergency medical attention.

After a few moments of silence, Mycroft looked up again at Anthea, drew a deep breath, and explained. "Anthea, I wanted to ask you…" He drew another deep breath, "Are you available to dine with me this evening?"

* * *

"Are you available to dine with me this evening?" he finished with a hopeful smile on his flushed face. _Well, so much for my speech. Oh well, short and sweet, and to the point. _ He was sweating heavily again; he could only hope that she didn't notice_. Please say yes, please say yes, please say yes. Gah, it's like I'm a lovesick teenager!_

His tense shoulders visibly relaxed when he saw that Anthea was blushing. _Wait, that's a good sign right?_

* * *

Anthea couldn't be sure but she thought that her boss just asked her on a date. She blushed, completely taken aback by Mycroft's question. Not in a million years would she have expected him to say those words aloud, especially to her. _Anthea, speak! He's waiting for an answer! It's starting to get awkward._

She snapped out of her trance and was about to answer him, when it dawned on her. _Oh, wait…it's not a date, it can't be! Of course not. It's a work dinner, not a date. Her boss was asking her to accompany him to a dinner meeting with a client. She WAS his assistant after all. Who else would take notes? Ha, how could I be so stupid? _ She smiled to herself, amused at her stupidity, and thankful that she caught herself before accepting his invitation (_she was going to say yes? Hmm, she would need to think about what that meant later_). _Oh my god, that would've been utterly embarrassing. I would've had to quit this job, which would be bloody terrible, I love working for Mycroft._

Realizing her mistake, she finally responded to his question. "Yes, I believe that I am. What time should I make the reservation?" she said with a radiant, and relieved, smile.

* * *

_Oh my god, she said YES. She. Said. Yes. _With a relieved smile of his own, Mycroft responded, "Oh, you don't need to worry about that. I've already taken care of reservations. I'd hoped that you would say yes," he admitted sheepishly. Seeing Anthea smile in return, he continued, "So, is 7 o'clock alright with you?"

* * *

Anthea was just finishing gathering her things for the dinner meeting. She had suggested that they leave straight from work, but Mycroft said that he needed to "pop out for a bit to pick up a few things before dinner," and that he would meet her at her home. He would be there to pick her up in the company car in less then 15 minutes, and she was running around trying to get all of her things together. Mycroft had not specified which client they were meeting this evening, but she had every client's information in her Blackberry so she would be prepared regardless of which client it was. She just needed to locate her briefcase with the necessary paperwork and she would be all set. She found said briefcase on the floor next to her bed, grabbed it and raced back downstairs.

She went to her bathroom to take one last peek at her appearance. It was only a work dinner so she chose to stay in her suit that she'd worn to work. She did put her hair up into a twist because it had become a bit frizzy and she didn't feel the need to style it again. _This wasn't a date, so what's the point? The client's not going to care that my hair is twisted up._ She picked up her compact to powder her face, and get rid of the shine from the day. As she went to refresh her lipstick, she reminded herself again that this was not a date, so she put back her lipstick and applied lip balm instead.

After finishing up in the bathroom, she went to get her Blackberry from where it was charging on the kitchen counter, threw it in her briefcase and stood by the front door, gathering her breath for a moment. She heard the car pull up, opened the door and after locking up behind her, walked towards a waiting Mycroft Holmes.

* * *

**A/N: Thanks so much for reading! Next chapter is the date/meeting and the two of them needing to sort out this awkward misunderstanding. Should be fun! ;) **

**Please review, I love to hear what you think! Thanks! :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello again readers! First, thank you soooo much for all of the follows, faves, and reviews-I love hearing your opinions! I try to respond to all of the reviews, but to the guest reviewers that I can't message back, THANK YOU so much for your kind words! I so appreciate them :)  
**

**And second, I'm so sorry for the long delay with this chapter, the last few weeks have been crazy stressful so it took me much longer than expected to get this one posted. This is going to be part one of the Big Date :) I was going to put it all in one chapter but I didn't want to rush the date, so I decided to break it into two parts. I hope you all like it! Let me know what you think :)**

* * *

Mycroft Holmes was utterly lost. He'd never felt so confused in his entire life. There were just so many...pink, purple, white, orange, yellow. Not to mention the thousands of different combinations! The shopkeeper was not helping matters; she just stood there tapping her foot like that would help him make this decision. She'd spent the last fifteen minutes attempting to explain the different types of bouquets that she could create but none of them compared to what he thought Anthea deserved. The shopkeeper was becoming agitated, as was Mycroft.

"Roses are always a good option for a first date. How 'bout a nice bouquet of red roses dear?" the shopkeeper offered in exasperation.

"Roses are boring," Mycroft said dismissively. "I need something unique, like she is."

"Unique? Well why didn't you say so in the first place!" the shopkeeper exclaimed in excitement, and she rushed off to the back of the store.

Mycroft took the opportunity to text Molly once again: IT WOULD'VE BEEN NICE IF YOU'D WARNED ME REGARDING THE RIDICULOUS NUMBER OF CHOICES WHEN SUGGESTING THAT I BRING HER FLOWERS! I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I'M DOING!

Molly: MAYBE I SHOULD'VE GONE WITH YOU AFTER ALL…HMM, LET'S SEE. WELL, ROSES ARE ALWAYS A LOVELY OPTION. PURPLE ROSES REPRESENT _ENCHANTMENT _AFTER ALL, WHICH SEEMS TO FIT YOUR FEELINGS FOR ANTHEA.

Sherlock must have been sitting near Molly when she received Mycroft's text because he decided to chime in with his own "helpful" suggestions: DON'T BE SUCH A CHILD MYCROFT! JUST GRAB THE CLOSEST BUNCH OF DEAD FLORA AND GET ON WITH IT!

Mycroft: AH, THANK YOU BROTHER. THAT WAS MOST HELPFUL. _Hope he caught that sarcasm!_

Molly: IGNORE HIM MYCROFT! HE HAS NO IDEA WHAT HE'S TALKING ABOUT! I'M SURE THAT WHATEVER YOU CHOOSE WILL BE LOVELY. ANTHEA WILL LOVE THEM REGARDLESS OF THE TYPE OF FLOWER. SHE'LL LOVE THEM BECAUSE THEY CAME FROM YOU!

Mycroft looked up from his phone to find the shopkeeper walking towards him, a very large bundle of beautiful pink and purple exotic looking flowers in her arms. "Orchids," the shopkeeper explained, a bit out of breath. "I think that orchids will suit you quite well. Symbolizing rare and delicate beauty, orchids are definitely unique, like your special lady. What do you think?"

"They're perfect," Mycroft said, visibly relieved. "Perhaps a few purple roses thrown in as well?"

With a smile, the shopkeeper said, "Brilliant! I'll just put an arrangement together, shall I?" and started bustling around the shop excitedly.

An hour later, after picking up a few more supplies for the evening and changing into a new suit, Mycroft found himself on his way to pick up Anthea, a large pink and purple bouquet on the seat next to him. He'd sent a picture of the finished bouquet to Molly and she'd wholeheartedly approved of his choice. He'd also spent most of the car ride confirming details of the evening's festivities, and arranging for the necessary transportation. His nerves had been kept at bay while he'd been running around, preparing for the evening; but now that the time had come to pick Anthea up, he started to feel nervous again. _At least I got the flowers right._

The car pulled up to the curb in front of Anthea's home, and he felt a wave of nausea come over him. He straightened his tie for the hundredth time and took two deep breaths to calm himself. He picked up the bouquet from the seat, opened the door and stepped out. With the flowers in his hand, he took a step towards her door, but stopped when he looked up to find her already walking towards him, a beautiful smile on her face. Smiling back, Mycroft took in her appearance, noting that she was wearing the same dark grey suit that she'd worn to the office, at the exact moment that Anthea noticed the bouquet in Mycroft's hand. Anthea's eyes went wide with realization and she froze in place, her smile from a moment ago replaced with a look of absolute shock.

* * *

_Flowers. There are flowers in his hand. For me? Mycroft Holmes brought me flowers. That is so sweet! Wait…oh my god…that means… This is a date. This. Is. A. Date. Holy sh..! And I look like rubbish…I didn't even change after work! He looks devastated. He must realize that I had no idea… But wait, this IS a date, which means he has something planned…oh God, I need to change!_

"Oh! Would you look at that?" she suddenly exclaimed. "I grabbed my briefcase instead of my purse! What was I thinking?" she laughed awkwardly. "Can you give me five minutes?" she asked apologetically. Not waiting for an answer, she turned quickly back to her front door. As she went to open it she turned back to Mycroft sheepishly. "Would you like to come inside?"

* * *

Mycroft was equally shocked at the realization that Anthea had no clue that tonight was a date. He stood by the car awkwardly, the bouquet hanging limply at his side. _She didn't know. She didn't say yes to a date. She said yes to a work dinner because that's her job. I am such an idiot. And I'm holding bloody flowers! What an arse. Now what am I supposed to do? And what do I do with these damn flowers?! She still looks gorgeous…dammit, focus man! How are you going to explain the flowers?_

"Would you like to come inside?" Her question brought him abruptly out of his thoughts.

His eyes snapped back to hers and he cleared his throat. "Yes, um…yes, okay," he answered awkwardly.

With the flowers still in his hand, he followed her into her flat. She pointed out a chair for him to sit in while she "found her purse." Mycroft quickly scanned her modest flat, attempting to deduce more about her from her belongings. Unfortunately, he was much too anxious about the evening's turn of events to focus on anything and instead sat awkwardly in the chair, the bouquet on his lap. After fifteen minutes had passed and Anthea still had not reappeared, Mycroft became certain that she had figured out their little misunderstanding and was attempting to correct it. _I should've made it clear that I was asking her on a date! _He looked at his watch to check the time. _We're going to be late if we don't get going soon. Maybe if I hadn't been such an idiot and actually said the word "date" we wouldn't be in this situation!_

The sound of her heels on the hardwood floor woke him from his reverie and all thoughts of misunderstandings were temporarily forgotten. _ She is so beautiful._ Dressed in a black body-hugging knee-length dress and heels, her hair was now hanging loosely down her back, her makeup perfectly applied with bold red lips. Mycroft was speechless, struggling not to stare, especially at her lips. He stood up to walk towards her and presented the orchid bouquet to her.

"Thank you, they're beautiful," she said with a smile. He smiled back and offered her his arm.

She slipped her arm through his and he looked down to face her, "You're beautiful," he told her seriously. Then he smiled, "You thought this was a work dinner didn't you?" he asked teasingly.

Anthea blushed, "Yeah, just a bit," she said with a laugh.

Mycroft laughed too. "Well, it's my fault. I had a very informative speech prepared but then you walked in and completely distracted me from my thoughts and I turned into a mumbling idiot! I should have clarified my intentions. My apologies," he explained with a wink.

She offered him a brilliant smile. "Well at least we got that little misunderstanding cleared up." She paused a moment, then added, "And Mycroft?" She smiled. "I'm very happy that I was wrong," and offered a wink of her own.

* * *

After getting settled into the back of the car, Anthea and Mycroft sat side by side facing forward, the flowers on the seat being the only thing separating them from each other. Anthea was trying to act cool on the outside, but inside she was a bundle of nerves. _ I can't believe I'm on a date with Mycroft Holmes. And why am I so nervous?! I don't get _nervous _on dates_!_ For goodness sakes, this is Mycroft! I've sat next to him in this very spot countless times and yet, tonight feels…different. He's different. For one thing, he's smiling more than I've ever seen him in all the years I've known him. And the winking! He was smiling and winking at _me! _ And to be honest, I'm quite enjoying it…_

Her thoughts were disrupted by the sound of Mycroft softly humming a familiar tune to himself. _Mycroft, humming? Since when does he hum? Wait a minute, is that…? No, it can't be…he wouldn't know that song…would he?_

"You know Arctic Monkeys? That's my favorite song…" she ventured incredulously.

"Hmm, I know," he smiled knowingly. "It's your ringtone on your mobile…which is noticeably _absent_ from your hand this evening."

_He deduced my favorite song from my ringtone? I didn't realize that he paid that much attention to me. Well, he's just full of surprises isn't he? _Anthea smiled. "I left it at home…didn't think I'd need it tonight," she added flirtatiously. _I'm flirting with Mycroft Holmes! _

Mycroft smiled back. "If the evening goes according to plan, you'll be quite right about that," he said with another wink.

Anthea blushed. _ Oh my God, Mycroft is flirting back! What is happening right now?! _She bit her lip, unsure of how to respond. "So…what do you have planned for tonight?" she asked hopefully.

He smiled and turned to her, "You'll see."

"You're really not going to tell me?" she asked with a pretend pout.

Mycroft couldn't help but laugh at her expression. "It's supposed to be a surprise. Don't women enjoy surprises?"

Anthea couldn't help but smile. _He was really trying, how sweet!_ Mycroft had turned back to face the front of the car, so Anthea seized the opportunity to watch, or rather, stare at his profile. _He really is quite handsome isn't he? I wouldn't let myself admit it before because, after all, he's my boss…but I'm definitely attracted to this man. He's a bit older…"mature" would be a better description. And the power, oh yes, he's a very powerful man, and that is certainly very attractive. He's not the most emotional guy…he doesn't always say the right thing…but I'm seeing a different side of him tonight. This, us, could potentially work…okay calm down Anthea, don't get ahead of yourself! You haven't even gotten to dinner yet! Hmm, speaking of…_

"Can you at least tell me where you're taking me to dinner?" she asked.

"Hmm, well actually, yes, I _must_ tell you. There has been a slight change in plans regarding dinner. Due to our little misunderstanding earlier," he smiled and winked at her, "we are running a bit behind schedule for the evening. So I thought we could pick up some takeout to eat on the way. Would that be alright?" he asked hopefully.

"On our way to what?" she asked, clearly intrigued.

"You'll see," he said again with a smile. "So…Indian food?"

* * *

Mycroft stepped out of the restaurant's double doors with two large bags of food and headed back to the car where Anthea was waiting. She'd been a bit surprised when the car had pulled up to her favorite Indian restaurant in the city. When she'd asked how that happened, Mycroft replied nonchalantly, "It was on the way to our next stop."

Considering that the driver had to turn the car in the opposite direction to continue the way they needed to go, Anthea didn't believe Mycroft's claim. She knew him; she knew how he observed everything. She teased him, "I think you've been paying close attention Mr. Holmes."

Mycroft looked into her eyes. "I always pay attention when it comes to you Anthea."

Anthea blushed and smiled, looking down at her lap self-consciously. They both remained silent and after a moment, Anthea snuck a peek at Mycroft from the corner of her eye and found him staring intensely into her eyes. Blushing again, she held his gaze.

Mycroft cleared his throat, attempting to break the silence that had settled in the backseat of the car. "Well, let's tuck in shall we?" he offered uncomfortably.

Broken out of her reverie, Anthea laughed at the sheer amount of food that Mycroft had ordered. "Did you buy out the whole restaurant?" She continued to laugh. "We have enough food to feed a small country!"

Mycroft looked sheepish. "Well I knew that tikka masala was your favorite but I wasn't sure what kind of protein you would prefer this evening, so I ordered all of them…and a few desserts as well. And three orders of naan." Anthea had continued to laugh at his explanation and he couldn't help but join her. "Hmm, I guess it would seem that I overdid it a bit."

Anthea offered a brilliant smile, "Just a bit," she said. Then she reached her hand out to place it on Mycroft's forearm and added, "It's perfect Mycroft. Thank you."

Mycroft's eyes shot down to where her hand touched his arm. His skin, even through layers of clothing, burned at Anthea's touch. He'd never felt anything like it. _Wow, if her hand on my arm causes that sort of physiological response, I wonder what her lips will feel like on mine…_

They began eating and settled into a comfortable silence while they sampled the many dishes that Mycroft had ordered for them. The car continued on for another 15 minutes, headed in the direction of the Thames River, when Mycroft began to wonder if Anthea knew where they were going. She'd looked out the window a few times and seemed to be lost in thought. He broke the silence, "We're almost to our destination. We won't be back to the car for a bit so you should bring whatever you may want with you."

Anthea looked at him imploringly. "Where in the world are you taking me?" Right then, the car passed a large sign and Anthea's eyes went wide. She whipped back to face Mycroft. "London Heliport?!" she exclaimed with a smile.

The car pulled on to the tarmac, right up to a large helicopter and came to a stop. Mycroft smiled at Anthea before opening up the door. He stepped out of the car first, then turned to offer his hand for Anthea to take. Their eyes met, he smiled and said, "Shall we?"

* * *

**Okay, so that was part one! I'll try to get the second part up within the next few days...Thanks so much for reading! Please let me know what you think ;)  
**

**And another big thank you to Writingwife83 for all of her support and encouragement! **


	5. Chapter 5

**Hi again! Sorry for the delay in updates...but here's part 2 of the big date! :) It's a long one! I hope you enjoy it!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything; Sherlock or the band/songs.  
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***Edited 6/22/14: It was pointed out to me by one of my reviewers that song lyrics cannot be used on this site, so my apologies; I wasn't aware of that rule, so thank you for letting me know! So here is the chapter without the song lyrics. But if you feel so inclined, please look up the song and hear the lyrics for yourself :) It is called "Do I Wanna Know?" by Arctic Monkeys. Thanks!**

* * *

Mycroft, still holding Anthea's hand from helping her out of the car, walked with her to the waiting helicopter. Anthea suddenly began laughing and he looked over to her and smiled, watching as her hair blew violently in the wind from the helicopter's rotating propellers. He helped her into the helicopter and followed behind her. As he was helping her settle into her seat and placing the headset over her ears, his driver came up to the helicopter with a black bag and placed it at Mycroft's feet. Anthea glanced at Mycroft quizzically but he just shrugged his shoulders and smiled.

The helicopter lifted off of the ground and Mycroft could sense Anthea's apprehension. She'd flown with him countless times for business, but never in a helicopter. Without thinking, he reached for her hand and squeezed it reassuringly. She visibly relaxed and offered him a smile of relief. Mycroft felt an instant warmness spread throughout his body from her smile, combined with the fact that he was still holding her hand; he'd never felt anything like it. _What is this woman doing to me?_

Feeling a bit embarrassed, Mycroft let go of her hand after another moment and instantly missed the sensation of her hand in his. _I've never held a woman's hand before…what is the proper hand-holding etiquette? When is it appropriate to let go? Did I do it too soon? Do you hold hands until the sweating begins? _

He felt Anthea's eyes on him and turned to her, a look of embarrassment still on his face. Even though the helicopter was extremely loud, their headsets had microphones attached that allowed them to speak, or rather, shout to each other while in the air. "So, are you going to tell me where you're taking me yet?" Anthea prodded.

"Soon enough," he replied with another wink. "Our destination is a little over three hours from London, but only a thirty minute helicopter ride away."

Anthea nodded in acceptance and turned to look down at the city passing below them. Even though it was possible for them to chat with the headsets, Mycroft found that he didn't need to talk during the ride; the sound of the helicopter was enough because it allowed him to simply watch Anthea. _She is so beautiful. So open and confident and genuine. I absolutely must not screw this up._

Both lost in thought, they continued the rest of the flight in relative silence; and save for a few stolen glances and smiles at each other, simply looked out at the lit-up streets of London. Mycroft was painfully aware of how close Anthea was to him. Even without touching her, he could feel her body next to his and he was beginning to feel a big lightheaded at the sensation. Or perhaps he was lightheaded from the elevation…

As they passed over a body of water, Anthea turned to look at him incredulously. Mycroft couldn't help but laugh at her confused expression. She'd looked back to the window, so when Mycroft reached out to touch her knee she jumped in surprise. Mycroft was pointing out to a large expanse of green with a beautiful river lining the edge, lit up by several small lights from what looked like a boardwalk.

Anthea turned back to Mycroft. "Is that where we're going?" she asked in anticipation.

Mycroft nodded, enjoying the look of excited confusion on Anthea's face. As the helicopter began making its descent, Mycroft smiled at Anthea practically humming with excitement. He was equally as excited to surprise Anthea, but also to be back on the island again; it had been a very long time.

After landing, Mycroft took off his headset and Anthea followed suit. She was obviously intrigued, so without further adieu Mycroft stepped out of the helicopter, and offering her his hand, said, "Welcome to the Isle of Wight."

* * *

Mycroft, carrying the mystery bag in one hand, led Anthea toward the far end of the field that they landed in. In the dwindling daylight, Anthea could make out that they were heading towards the river, brilliantly lit up by the setting sun just beyond its banks. As they drew closer to the river, she was able to make out what looked like a stage with two large Adirondack chairs placed in front of it. And nothing else-no other person in sight for miles it seemed. They were completely alone in this giant field. _What in the world? If this was any man other than Mycroft I would be extremely terrified right now. Why did he take me here of all places? It's a lovely place, but why this open field…and what's with the stage?_

Anthea turned to Mycroft. "So…this is really beautiful Mycroft…but can I ask why we're here in the middle of a field?"

They'd reached the chairs so Mycroft gestured for her to take a seat. He opened the mystery bag and pulled out a bottle of champagne and two glasses. Without words, he gestured to the bottle questioningly, and Anthea nodded excitedly. He spoke as he opened the bottle and poured her a glass. "This is Seaclose Park, one of my favorite places, and I wanted to share it with you. My family had a home in Bembridge on the eastern side of the island, so much of my childhood holidays were spent here. This park in particular, although quite large, is actually quite isolated most of the year, making it an ideal place for Sherlock and I to spend our time as children. We didn't have a lot of friends as you can probably imagine." He smiled at her. "Save for the summers, when they host multiple music festivals, which I obviously avoided, the park is fairly quiet."

Anthea looked around once more, feeling much less anxious about being in an almost-completely-dark open field. "I can see why you like it here. It's peaceful." Anthea looked towards the setting sun. "It's breathtaking; the river, the sunset, just everything." She turned back to Mycroft, "Thank you for bringing me here. It's perfect."

Mycroft actually blushed. "Well it's not quite over yet," he said with a wink, and clinked his glass against hers in celebration.

Just then, a group of figures began walking in the direction of the stage. _Wait…okay, I see, we're here for a show of some sort! Lovely! Wow, he really went all out for this date; color me impressed Mr. Holmes…_

The stage lights came on suddenly, and after her eyes adjusted to the brightness, she noticed that the instruments were already set up; in the darkness she had not been able to make out anything but shapes. One of the men came up to the microphone in front and recognition set in. _Oh my…how? How did he…_

She suddenly exclaimed, "Mycroft bloody Holmes! The Arctic Monkeys? Are you serious?!" She had the biggest smile on her face. _I can't believe this is happening! My favorite band…Mycroft Holmes, I could kiss you right now!_

Mycroft had an equally large smile on his face, completely satisfied with her reaction. "Surprise," he said with a wink.

Anthea was practically bouncing in her chair. "Mycroft, this is absolutely amazing! I don't have words right now…I'm just so…so…happy! This is quite literally the best date I have ever, or will ever go on!" She was aware that she had turned into a giggly schoolgirl but she didn't care. This was by far the best thing anyone had ever done for her. She looked at Mycroft and added seriously, "Thank you," and leaned over toward him, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. They both blushed at the contact.

Just then, the lead singer, Alex Turner, decided to start things off. "Hey Anthea, I'm Alex, and we're the Arctic Monkeys! I hear that you're our number one fan. Well, thanks to your very influential boyfriend, we're here just for you tonight. So this one's for you and we hope you enjoy! 1, 2, 3, 4…" And the band began playing one of their hits, "I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor."

At the word "boyfriend", both Anthea and Mycroft glanced awkwardly at each other; but because the band began playing they didn't have time to dwell on the moment. Anthea was clearly enjoying herself, dancing in her seat, and singing all of the words to the songs. She could feel Mycroft watching her, and after a few songs, she turned to him again. "How in the world were you able to arrange this in less than a day?! You literally asked me to dinner this morning. And now we're in front of my favorite band-a band that is on an international tour right now I might add-and you're just sitting there like it's no big deal!" she exclaimed.

Mycroft laughed. "It was actually rather difficult to track down the band's manager. In fact, the band was still in America this morning. But once I found him, it wasn't difficult to persuade them to perform for you. I can be quite convincing," he said with yet another wink.

"They were still in America this morning? What do you mean? You didn't even ask me out until this morning, so how could you possibly get the band back to the UK in that short amount of time?" Anthea asked, now thoroughly confused.

"Ah. Well, I'd hoped that you would say yes to the date so I began tracking the manager down yesterday evening, as soon as I finished consulting with Sherlock and Molly about you. It really wasn't…"

Anthea cut him off. "I'm sorry, but Molly? As in, Dr. Molly Hooper, the pathologist at Bart's? I wasn't aware that you were close, and I know all of your contacts. Why would you talk about me with her and Sherlock?" she asked, utterly confused.

"Sherlock is in a relationship with Dr. Hooper, did I not mention that before? Apologies. But, since he and I are similar in our views of sentiment, I figured that if he is able to balance his emotions within a relationship and still be able to conduct his work, then I should be able to just as well, if not better. Molly is actually the one who suggested that I figure out your favorite music; so after deducing the song from your ringtone, I did some research, found out the name of the band, used my contacts to track down their manager, persuaded them to fly back to the UK on their day off, arranged the necessary transportation for them, and here we are," he concluded with a satisfied grin.

Anthea was a bit stunned, but chose to focus on the Sherlock-in-a-relationship bombshell. "So, the pathologist from Bart's is dating…your brother. Sherlock Holmes…in a relationship? Huh…ya know, actually, they make sense as a couple."

Mycroft added, "Yes, well, apparently the Holmes men are evolving…did I mention that Sherlock took Molly to a cemetery for their first official date? He tried to convince me to take you there as well, but I didn't think that you would find the same appeal as she did."

Anthea smiled. "Yeah, not so much. But even though I don't know Dr. Hooper, er, Molly, very well, I can see why she and Sherlock would find a cemetery appealing. Hauntingly beautiful, peaceful. It's actually quite perfect for both of them. Sherlock did good," she added approvingly.

* * *

They settled into silence again as the band continued to play. Mycroft was just enjoying watching Anthea as she moved and sang to the music. She was clearly enjoying herself and he felt a sense of happiness because he was responsible for the smile on her face. _Or at least I hope I am._

Anthea turned to him with a huge smile, "I still can't believe that you did all of this for me!" she exclaimed.

"I would do anything for you Anthea," he replied seriously. Their eyes locked, staring intensely, both of them afraid to break the connection; but also hesitant of what might happen if they continued. _I really want to kiss her, I've never felt this urge before, but I really want to just…lean forward, hold her face between my hands and kiss her soundly on the lips. Those lips…_

The signal of a new song brought them abruptly back to the present, both of them looking away, blushing, gathering their thoughts again. Anthea cleared her throat. Her question broke him out of his thoughts. "So, ahem, what do you think of the band? Not your cuppa tea?" she asked with a smile.

Mycroft looked thoughtful. "It's new to me, this style of music…not necessarily the kind that I would normally listen to. But I'm enjoying it, because you're enjoying it. I enjoy watching you enjoy it." _ I really could care less about the music, I'm too busy watching you._

A familiar song brought him out of his reverie. "Oh I know this one!" Mycroft exclaimed. Anthea's favorite song, and mobile ringtone, "Do I Wanna Know?" began to play. Due to his extensive research the night before, he was aware of the meaning behind this particular song. He listened closely as the lead singer began the first verse. It had a sad, almost haunting quality to it; a sense of wanting to be with someone but not knowing if that person reciprocated those feelings. Unrequited love. _I wonder...a__m I imagining that there is something between us? __D__oes she feel it too?_

As if on cue, Mycroft and Anthea turned toward each other at the same time, glancing at each other, smiling, looking down at their laps. _Hmm...perhaps she could..._

The song continued on, now onto the second verse. Mycroft was amazed at how well the lyrics were able to describe his feelings right at that moment. Because it suddenly occurred to Mycroft that it would always be Anthea. No other woman had every made him feel even remotely close to the way he felt for her. It had been her all along. And it was no longer a desire to know, but a need. He needed to know if she was feeling the same way.

Mycroft slyly glanced at Anthea, who was blushing furiously. _Oh, I'm a goner. _Anthea, feeling Mycroft's gaze on her, raised her eyes to meet his, her heart beating hard in her chest. They'd never looked at each other this way before. He didn't move, just kept his eyes on hers, his lips parting.

It's like the song was daring Mycroft to make a move; building him up into a frenzy. His body was screaming to touch Anthea. He could feel his mind holding him back, keeping him from going too fast. He was clearly attracted to Anthea. In fact, it was blatantly obvious that he'd been attracted to her for longer than he realized; and now that he was allowing himself to succumb to those feelings, the urges were much stronger than he had expected. He wanted to kiss her. And he was pretty certain that she wanted him to.

* * *

She really wanted him to kiss her. She could sense that he wanted to, that he was thinking about it, going through the motions in his head. She knew him; she knew that he had to go through every possibility before he would take action. _Just do it Mycroft. I know that you want to. And you know that I want you to._

The band was wrapping up their performance soon; she could sense it. He was going to miss his window and the moment would be gone. She could sense his hesitation, his fear of rejection was showing through his strong and confident façade that he was known for. _I guess I'm going to need to take things into my own hands on this one._ She stood up to face him, and pulled him up so that he was standing, looking down at her. She gave him a second to catch up, staring intently into his eyes and smiling coyly. He got the hint and took her face in his hands, slowly bringing his face down to hers. Stopping just shy of her lips, Anthea wrapped a hand around the back of his neck and pulled him in the rest of the way, their lips meeting in a deliciously sweet kiss. She pulled back smiling, wanting to gauge his reaction and found that he was smiling as well. He immediately moved his hands from her face down to her waist and pulled her back in to him for another kiss, this one much more intense than the first.

After another few kisses, Anthea pulled back once more and offered a brilliant smile to Mycroft. "Well, Mr. Holmes, I have to say. I didn't know you had that in you! But if all you wanted was a kiss, you didn't have to hire a helicopter and fly me to a beautiful location for a private performance from my favorite band; although it was a spectacular gesture and I loved every minute. All you really had to do was ask." And with that, she pulled him back down for another kiss.

* * *

**Ooh Mycroft, so smooth! ;) So it's a bit unrealistic of course, but a) this is fanfiction, and b) this is Mycroft we're talking about-go big or go home right?! ;)**

**If you're wondering why I chose Arctic Monkeys, to me Anthea doesn't seem like the type to listen to mainstream pop hits, so I wanted an indie alternative band, and the Arctic Monkeys just happen to be British as well! And when I heard the lyrics of the song, they seemed to fit the situation quite well. Hopefully you agree! *(Again, since I removed the lyrics, please feel free to look them up, or listen to the song, I think you'll enjoy it!)*  
**

**And another big shoutout to Writingwife83 and "A Window into Change" for the inspiration for this story, and for allowing me to use references from her fabulous Sherlolly tales!  
**

**Thanks again for reading, and please let me know what you think :)**


	6. Chapter 6

** Hello again! :) I am soooo sorry that it's taken me so long to get this chapter posted! This summer has been absolute madness and the time just got away from me-I never intended to make you wait so long! So thank you all so much for sticking with me! Also, thank you so much for all of your kind words of support and encouragement, they mean so much to me :)**

**********On that note, I also want to thank two fabulous peeps, Writingwife83 and 16magnolias, who both suggested the "chats" in this chapter and encouraged me to continue this little tale! Thank you soooo much! You both rock!**

**So for everyone who waited so patiently, I've written a really long chapter! I hope you all like it and that it makes up for the huge delay! **

* * *

As the car pulled up to the curb in front of Anthea's flat, her hand firmly in Mycroft's, as it had been the entire car ride, Mycroft couldn't help but feel a sense of disappointment at the night's end. He sensed that Anthea felt the same, as she seemed to be in no hurry to leave the car. They'd spent most of the trip back to London in comfortable silence, simply enjoying each other's company; both preoccupied with thoughts of the night's events. With her hand in his, he was continuously reminded of The Kiss, flooding his mind with memories of how it felt to press his lips against hers; her arms wrapped around his neck. Never in his life had he experienced those feelings. And he didn't want those feelings to end.

He imagined that Anthea was having similar thoughts if her constant smile on her face was any indication. However, she hadn't said much, which made him wonder whether she might also be experiencing concern as to what this could do to their professional relationship.

Because while he wouldn't change anything that happened between them this evening, he couldn't help but feel apprehensive about going back to work with her after this. Would they be able to separate business from their romantic relationship? Would she even wish to pursue a relationship with him? Maybe this was just a one-off thing…maybe she would want to stop working for him after tonight…and even if she chose to continue working for him, would he be able to stay professional around her, or even keep his hands off of her? In the current moment, he certainly doubted that he could. And he didn't really want to. Thankfully, with it being Friday, they would both have the weekend to process these developments between them.

At that very moment, Anthea rested her head on Mycroft's shoulder and he momentarily thought he might explode. Instead, as if he'd been doing it all his life, he turned and placed a kiss on top of her head. It was shocking to him to realize how natural it felt to be with Anthea; how normal it felt to have her body against his. He wondered how he could have lived without it for as long as he had. And yet, there was still a part of him that didn't recognize himself; this version of himself that holds the hand of a beautiful woman and snogs her in the middle of a park. Not that he was complaining…

He turned to her then, offering a genuine smile that made her blush. "Anthea…I've never…this, tonight rather…" He took a deep breath. "I apologize, I'm not used to this." Anthea squeezed his hand encouragingly. He began again. "Anthea, thank you. You have given me the best night of my life. You are breathtaking. I've never felt this way about anyone and I don't take those feelings lightly." He paused then, looking deeply into her eyes. "You have changed me…thank you." And he raised his hand to her face, his thumb grazing her cheek. She smiled, closed her eyes and leaned her face into his touch. She then took his hand in hers and brought it to her lips, kissing his palm. "Thank _you_ Mycroft. You have given me the perfect night; no man has ever made me feel so special."

The driver coughed suddenly, startling them out of the moment. Anthea dropped Mycroft's hand and he cleared his throat. "Well…it's getting late. I guess we should get you inside."

Anthea simply nodded and picked up her orchid bouquet, as Mycroft stepped out of the car. He came around to open her door and offered her his hand. They walked silently, if a bit awkwardly, to Anthea's doorstep. When they reached the end of her walkway Mycroft turned to her. "Goodnight Anthea," and bent down to kiss her cheek.

Anthea smiled and replied coyly, "Goodnight Mycroft." She then turned toward her door.

Mycroft stood frozen, a bit dazed, when Anthea suddenly turned to him, her hand on the doorknob. "Oh, and Mycroft?"

"Hmm?" Mycroft responded, startled.

She stepped towards him. "You're quite brilliant at this whole dating thing." Then she closed the gap between them, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him soundly one more time. Then just as suddenly, she pulled back, dropping her arms in the process, and smiled at him. "See you Monday boss!" she said teasingly and winked right before disappearing into her flat.

* * *

Mycroft couldn't help but laugh to himself as he climbed back into the backseat, his lips still tingling from Anthea's kiss. He pulled out his mobile to check his messages, not expecting to find quite so many! He had several messages from Molly Hooper:

Molly: HOW'S IT GOING SO FAR?

DID SHE LOVE THE FLOWERS YOU CHOSE? OH OF COURSE SHE DID!

MAKE SURE TO COMPLIMENT HER!

MAYBE YOU SHOULD'VE RUN YOUR PLAN BY ME BEFORE YOU TOOK HER OUT…

IS SHE ENJOYING HERSELF? DID YOU ASK HER?

YOU'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT WORK RIGHT? REMEMBER THAT YOU ARE ON A DATE, NOT A BUSINESS MEETING!

HOW'S IT GOING?

IT'S GETTING AWFULLY LATE…ARE YOU STILL WITH HER? BE A GENTLEMAN MYCRFOT!

Mycroft shook his head. _She's almost as bad as Mother! _

Sherlock: SCREW IT UP YET MIKEY?

_Ah, thank you brother for assuming that I would somehow ruin the evening simply by being myself. You're so supportive. _Even his thoughts were dripping in sarcasm. But not even Sherlock's little dig could dampen his mood at that moment. He'd never felt so good in his life! He decided to send a quick response to them both:

Mycroft: THE EVENING WAS DEFINITELY SUCCESSFUL.

As the car pulled away from the curb, headed for home, Mycroft couldn't wipe the ridiculous smile off of his face, even if he'd wanted to.

* * *

Sitting on the bed checking emails, with Molly sleeping soundly next to him, Sherlock received a text alert on his mobile. He opened the message and in a rare moment of brotherly affection, Sherlock couldn't help but smile at Mycroft's response. "Good for you brother," he whispered quietly to himself.

* * *

"That's really all he said in the message? He didn't send you any separate texts?" Molly asked as she pulled her jumper over her head the next morning.

Sherlock was sitting in his chair, laptop balanced on his knee, with an amused expression on his face as he watched Molly rush around the flat in a blur. "He did not elaborate further. However, I imagine I will be hearing from him at some point today. He so enjoys gloating." He added with a huff.

"Oh, and _you_ don't Mr. Only Consulting Detective in the World?" Molly retorted teasingly as she pulled her purse onto her shoulder. "I'm so late! I've got to run, but I should be home around five." She rushed over to him and gave him a quick peck on the lips. "And Sherlock, if he does show up here, promise you'll be nice!" and gave him an admonishing look.

With a look of faux shock on his face he replied haughtily, "I'm always nice!" and Molly gave him a look of disbelief. Sherlock tried not to laugh at Molly's serious look and tone. He paused before finally relenting. "Fine. Promise," he replied with a wink.

"Don't you wink at me Sherlock! I'm serious." But even Molly couldn't keep the smile off her face when she said it; which seriously diminished her credibility.

Sherlock placed his laptop on the arm of the chair, stood up and walked Molly to the door. "I promise to be nice Molly." He brought his hand up to cradle her cheek, pulling her face to his and placing a kiss on her lips. "Now get to work! Someone has to make a living around here," he said teasingly.

Molly smiled at him. This man could still make her weak in the knees. "I'll see you tonight." And with that, she was out the door and on her way to Bart's.

* * *

Molly loved Saturdays in the lab. This part of the hospital was always quietest during the weekend, allowing her to be much more productive without constant interruptions. Particularly because Sherlock was expecting John at 221B, she knew that he would be unlikely to visit her unannounced. So, only an hour into her shift and highly focused, she wasn't anticipating the abrupt knock on the lab door, startling her senseless and causing her to drop the glass vial she'd been holding.

"Oh!" Molly exclaimed, clutching her hands to her racing heart and looking down at the broken glass on the floor. The lab door opened then, and Molly looked up to find a beautiful brunette woman looking up and down between Molly's shocked expression and the broken glass. "I am _so_ sorry! I didn't mean to startle you!" Anthea exclaimed apologetically. She bent down to help pick up the pieces of glass.

Molly put a hand out to stop her. "Oh, it's nothing, don't worry about it! You just startled me, that's all! I can clean this up later," Molly explained with a smile. "Hello by the way, I'm Molly!" she added perkily and put her hand out in introduction.

Anthea looked at Molly's hand, feeling extremely uncomfortable. She shook Molly's hand awkwardly. "Hello Dr. Hooper. I apologize for showing up unannounced like this…and we don't even know each other…but I was wondering if I could speak to you, possibly over coffee?"

"You must be Anthea," Molly ventured, a huge smile on her face. If this was indeed Anthea in front of her, Molly could only hope that she was here to discuss a certain Holmes brother.

Anthea blushed. "Oh yes, of course, I'm sorry. Yes, I'm Anthea…I'm sorry, I know this is odd, me just showing up like this. I don't know how to do this…" she stammered uncomfortably.

"Oh it's fine Anthea!" Molly laughed warmly. " So nice to meet you! I'd love to grab a coffee, that sounds delightful actually…" Molly looked around the lab, remembering that she was in the middle of a project. "Uh, how about I finish up with this analysis and I can meet you in the cafeteria in ten minutes?"

Anthea nodded, offering a small smile of relief and replied, "Yes, okay. Thank you."

Molly smiled broadly as Anthea walked out of the lab. She pulled out her mobile and excitedly typed a text to Sherlock.

* * *

"Ugh, too easy…oh that's even worse! Aren't there any good criminals out there anymore?!" Sherlock shouted exasperatedly to himself, checking emails for a new case. John had only agreed to come over today because Sherlock had promised that he had a really good case and needed his help. John had his hands full with Mary and the baby these days, so for the mean time he only agreed to help with cases when they were eights or above. Finding nothing promising so far, Sherlock needed to come up with something good in the next hour.

His thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the sound of his mobile. He smiled when he saw that it was from Molly:

GUESS WHO JUST SHOWED UP AT BART'S TO HAVE A CHAT?! ;)

Sherlock began typing a response, when he heard familiar footsteps on the stairs leading up to 221B. He erased his current text and typed a new one:

HER TIMING IS IMPECCABLE. MYCROFT JUST ARRIVED AS WELL. INTERESTING…MAYBE MYCROFT ISN'T MEANT TO BE MISERABLE AND ALONE AFTER ALL.

Molly: BE NICE SHERLOCK!

Sherlock smirked at her reply; Molly knew him too well.

* * *

Anthea was seated by the windows, two cups of coffee on the table in front of her, when Molly arrived. "Hello, so sorry to keep you waiting!" Molly exclaimed cheerily as she sat down opposite Anthea.

Still feeling quite uncomfortable, Anthea responded warily, "It's fine. Thank you again for meeting with me."

"Oh, so formal! We're all girl friends here," Molly replied teasingly. "So, I assume you're here to talk about your date last night?" she asked hopefully.

"Um, yes, I am...but I, um…" Anthea paused. "I'm sorry, I feel rather awkward talking to you about this. I mean, we don't know each other at all and here I am, about to spill my secrets to a perfect stranger!" she laughed uncomfortably. "And on top of it all, you seem to know all about me, especially in regards to Mycroft; and I know nothing about you other than the fact that you are a pathologist at this hospital, and you are now dating Sherlock Holmes. Although, I suppose that the latter fact is what brought me here." Anthea took a deep breath and smiled hopefully at Molly.

Molly took a sip of her coffee and smiled. "You're right, we don't know each other, but we do have something quite crucial in common: we are in relationships with the Holmes men. And if anyone can possibly understand your situation, it would be me."

Anthea smiled as she felt herself relax a bit. There was something about Molly that put her at ease; a genuine happiness that exuded from her that made Anthea feel more comfortable. She was beginning to understand how Molly could make a relationship work with Sherlock.

Molly continued, "And if I'm correct in my assumption that the date went well, I think that you can agree that the Holmes men can be quite incredible when they put their minds to it."

Anthea blushed before she could catch herself, confirming Molly's assumption that the date had gone _quite well._ Molly giggled with happiness. "I _knew_ it!" she exclaimed.

Anthea laughed. "You know, I actually don't have a lot of girl friends," Anthea stated matter-of-factly. "And the ones that I do have certainly wouldn't be understanding, or even supportive, of my attraction to Mycroft Holmes of all people." She looked somewhat sad at this realization. "But I can't help it. I'm ridiculously attracted to him and I can't stop thinking about him. Or that kiss…"

"Woah! What kiss?!" Molly interrupted excitedly. She had the biggest smile on her face, practically buzzing with anticipation.

Anthea giggled. "Well maybe I should start from the beginning?"

* * *

Mycroft Holmes swept into 221B as if on a cloud. He was dressed in his typical three-piece suit, and everything seemed to be in place. Nevertheless, Sherlock could sense a difference in his brother. Was it...sentiment? Happiness? Whatever it was, it was unsettling.

"Good morning little brother!" Mycroft greeted him with a big smile.

"Mycroft," Sherlock replied warily.

"Fancy some tea?" Mycroft asked.

Sherlock eyed him strangely. "Mrs. Hudson's out at the moment so…"

Mycroft cut him off. "Oh no need, I can manage," and rushed off to the kitchen.

Sherlock was at a loss for words. This strange, almost _bubbly_, version of Mycroft was not something he was comfortable with. He was contemplating calling Molly in for reinforcement when he heard a strange sound coming from the kitchen. Along with the sounds of cupboards opening and water boiling, he could hear…was that humming? Mycroft Holmes was…humming…music. Sherlock's jaw dropped in astonishment.

Mycroft came back into the sitting room, two cups of tea in his hands and set one down on the table next to Sherlock's chair. He took a seat in the chair usually reserved for John, and took a sip of his tea. He looked up to find Sherlock with a look that was equal parts confusion and disgust on his face. "What's that face for? Why are you looking at me like that?" he questioned.

"Who _are you?" _Sherlock asked incredulously.

"Don't be ridiculous Sherlock. You're not _that_ stupid," Mycroft replied with a scoff. Then he switched back to smiling. "Anyway, I wanted to talk to you and Molly about my date with Anthea. Is she around?"

Sherlock physically shook his head to clear his thoughts. "She is not. Incidentally, she is at Bart's having a chat with your new _girlfriend_, presumably about you," Sherlock informed him.

Rather than react with disgust at the word "girlfriend" as Sherlock had expected, Mycroft smiled, a dreamy expression on his face. Sherlock knit his eyebrows in confusion, continuing to stare at him. He was utterly incapable of comprehending this drastic change in his brother.

"Well I guess you'll have to do then," Mycroft replied with a laugh. He settled in to the chair and started from the beginning. Smiling, Mycroft continued, "Well it began with a misunderstanding…she wasn't even aware that the evening was a date!"

* * *

With her elbows on the table, her head resting in her hands, Molly let out a big sigh and replied dreamily, "That is quite possibly the most romantic thing that I have ever heard."

Blushing profusely after relaying the entire date to Molly, Anthea couldn't help but agree with Molly's statement. "It really was incredible. I've never had anyone treat me the way that he did. I felt like the only woman in the world."

Molly couldn't help but smile at Anthea. She was clearly falling for Mycroft. Suddenly she laughed aloud. "So backing up a bit, did you say that Mycroft _winked_ at you?"

"Ha! Yes, multiple times! I couldn't believe it when he did it the first time, but then he kept doing it…and I must admit, after the initial shock of it, it was pretty sexy!" and both women collapsed into giggling.

"Mycroft…_flirting!_…_winking!_…" Molly could barely speak through her laughter.

After recovering from their giggling, Anthea spoke. "Who would've thought that a date, that I didn't even realize was a date, would turn out to be the best night of my life!"

Molly smiled and asked, "So if you had to choose one moment, what would be your favorite?"

Anthea didn't even hesitate. "The look he gave me right before the first kiss. Don't get me wrong, the kiss was a close second! But there was this moment right before I pulled him up to me. Our eyes met and it was like he could see right through me; I could feel everything that he was feeling. I knew then that I was a goner. There was no going back for me. Then, with a little help, he kissed me!"

"And the heavens opened up!" Molly teased.

"Pretty much!" Anthea exclaimed. "So I guess I have you to thank for making all of this possible."

"Oh no not at all Anthea! The entire date was Mycroft's idea, I didn't even know about his plan until now. I simply encouraged him to follow through with his feelings for you. To be honest with you, everything was Mycroft. He cares deeply for you Anthea," Molly stated earnestly.

Anthea smiled, her eyes glassy. "I care deeply for him too."

* * *

"So let me get this right. You're saying that for a _first date_, you flew your assistant to a secluded island, in a HELICOPTER, and arranged for her favorite band to fly from the States to said island for a one night show, all in the span of a day? Is that what you're telling me?" Sherlock asked incredulously.

"Do keep up brother. That's exactly what I said," Mycroft replied in annoyance. He didn't enjoy repeating himself. "And please stop referring to Anthea as my assistant; she's clearly more than that to me now," he added.

Sherlock huffed. "Well, way to make the rest of us look bad Mycroft! A helicopter? Seriously! Now Molly will expect that I come up with an equally grand romantic gesture for her! Thanks for that brother."

"Well, perhaps you should take notes. Clearly I'm better at romanticism than you are, just as I am better than you at everything else," Mycroft replied haughtily, reverting back to his typical behavior when it came to Sherlock.

"Oh please! You went on _one_ date Mycroft. Let's see how long you can make it last. You said it yourself, you're not built for relationships. You don't _need_ anyone, remember?" Sherlock sneered.

Mycroft looked taken aback. "First of all Sherlock, you're one to talk. You're currently in your first and only "real" relationship. Second, you're completely correct, I didn't think that I needed anyone." He paused for a moment, then looked directly at Sherlock. "But I was wrong. Yes, Sherlock, I said that I was wrong; it was bound to happen at some point. Being around Anthea has made me realize how much I _want_ to be with her. I've never felt this way about anyone; in fact I wasn't aware that I was even capable of feeling this way. I want to see her, I want to feel her next to me, I want to hold her in my arms…oh stop looking at me like that!"

Sherlock's eyes were wide, his jaw hanging open. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. He never thought it possible that Mycroft could express any type of sentiment, let alone such strong feelings for a woman. But I guess Sherlock himself didn't think that it was possible for him to love a woman as much as he loved Molly. And if he didn't know any better, he would venture that Mycroft was headed that way himself.

Mycroft looked contrite. "Anyway, I tried winking at her as well. Not sure how well it worked…I think she seemed to enjoy it."

Sherlock looked traumatized. "_You_ winked? You don't wink."

"Correction: didn't wink. Apparently I wink now." Mycroft stated. "I am capable of a lot of actions that I was unaware of before last night. For instance, it would appear that I am quite brilliant at kissing."

"Repulsive. I'd really rather not visualize you and Anthea kissing. No thank you," Sherlock replied with disgust.

"Mycroft and Anthea?! You must be joking!" John exclaimed! If the two brothers hadn't been arguing, they might have heard the footsteps of a certain blogger coming up the stairs. But then, John wouldn't have overheard the last few minutes of their conversation. John broke into hysterical laughter. "Oh my god this explains so much! She turned me down because she already had her eye on a Holmes brother!" and he continued to laugh hysterically.

Mycroft groaned. "Ugh, not again! Does _anyone _knock around here?"

* * *

**Thanks again for reading, I hope you enjoyed it! Feel free to share your thoughts :) **


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